Inga Tells All : A saga of single parenthood, second marriage, surly fauna, and being mistaken for a Swedish porn star

My neighbors, in from the frozen plains of Canada to Southern California for the Holidays, asked for gift ideas with local color. I held up my copy of “Inga Tells All” to show them the ironies we endure as regular folks in the environs of La Jolla.I touted the book as the best writing by anyone around here. I spoke of it as positive humor, filled with funny-bone-tickling text, enjoyable by anyone young or old, married, unmarried, or remarried, with or without children, dogs, ducks, or grandkids, and local to the regular stuff that goes on in La Jolla yet relatable to the freezing folks back in Canada.I held up the book as one writer’s admiration for another one’s superb writing. Before there was “Inga Tells All,” there was the regular “Inga Tells All” column in a local newspaper, the only column worth reading in that paper IMHO. I know good writing when I read it. We have the best there is locally as “Inga Tells All,” the book.It comes with my highest recommendations as a read for folks of all ages. It generates a chuckle when you least expect it or need it most. It pulls amazingly apt, amusing, erudite expressions out of thin air. It makes you laugh out loud while recalling similar absurdities where you should have LOLed, but didn’t. It raises renewed smiles at life’s idiosyncrasies.

Inga is my favorite current humorist. The stories of granddog Winston with the tuna, waiters dealing with "ladies who lunch," and hellacious son Rory doing anything whatsoever are priceless. I also have a great fondness for her second husband, engineer Olof. His patience and humor are perfect. This book is already a favorite in our household. On a practical note, I expect it may end up in a certain magazine rack, because most of the essays are of a perfect length to be read in a few minutes. However, I'm consuming it in one sitting [in the living room] because it is too funny to put down.

Inga's like the female Dave Barry, and for me that's a very high compliment. These short pieces are always funny and sometimes hilarious. As with Dave Barry's pieces, it's tempting to read them one after another, but I try to read them one at a time because otherwise Inga's voice (and Dave's as well) loses a bit of its freshness. And the freshness of her voice is one of the best things about her.The book is probably best for women, and especially for single mothers. But many of the (real life, apparently) situations she describes are universal, and I suspect nearly everyone will enjoy her wit and wisdom.

This is THE book to keep on your bedside table, maybe permanently. You can devour just a couple of mini-essays before going to sleep, or end up reading until your eyes water from late-night fatigue (or laughter). And when you get to the end, you can just start over again. Every one of these tidbits is a pleasure. The author is clearly a warm-hearted, good-humored, appreciative wife, mother, and friend who has managed to keep her cool and her sense of humor through more than her share of trials and tribulations over the years. (Of course, she has every woman's dream of a husband to regularly lift her spirits.) Some of my favorites in this collection: "Yoga for the Maimed and Disabled," "Coffee as a Second Language," "Airline Pre-Boards Have Gone Overboard," "A Hairy Experience in Washington, D.C.," and "Why It Takes Four Women 80 Emails to Set a Lunch Date." You'll recognize yourself, your neighbors, your kids, and your life challenges in these pages. Buy a dozen copies to give as gifts--but only to the truly deserving.

This was a really fun book even for a guy that is not a single mother . Inga has such a wonderful mixture of different venues, cultures and situations that you always feel a part of the story. There you are stuck in one of life's many ironies in the supermarket or a restaurant in San Diego. I love that in one moment you are in Brazil, the next in Sweden and then home in California, all places I love! Inga has a special way of looking from many perspectives with her Jewish, Catholic, Protestant life that make for a richly wise and at once funny view of life that leaves you with a real joy of all of mankind's frailties midst the joy of God's creations.

If you need some laughs, this is the book to buy! Truly humorous stories about everyday life with kids, husbands, household stuff, stores & whatever else life throws at you. I've always said you can laugh or cry about life's daily challenges & I much prefer laughing. Obviously Inga does too! Her writing style kept me turning the pages. I was going to read a few pages at a time, but ended up finishing the book in 2 days. I go back & re-read parts when I want a chuckle. I've bought extra copies to give to friends in need of laugh. Great book to lighten someone's day!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I intended to read it for comic relief--wanted a good laugh in the midst of the stressors of life--and it more than exceeded expectations for this. However, what surprised and delighted me even more was how therapeutic it was. Inga discussed many of the same problems I currently have, and this helped me take a good look at my own life to see if I could find some better coping mechanisms. Her easy-to-read style was something I could totally relate to, and as I laughed at the way she presented her dilemmas, I was able to find the humor in some of my own situations. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it!

What a delightful, irreverent commentary on the ups and downs of daily living! Inga approaches life with wit and humor to get one through such difficult circumstances as divorce, child rearing, and rats in the attic. It is broken into short, manageable expositions on a variety of topics that anyone can relate to -- even if you can't, her stories will make you wish for such encounters just so you can try out some of her good natured humor. It is the perfect book to give a any day a hearty laugh!